Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health.
I have always heard vitamin D referred to as the happiness vitamin. And this is crucial as vitamin D can be a challenge to acquire naturally. But it does so much more!
Studies show that women with PCOS tend to be vitamin D deficient. I thought mine was low as it was just outside normal range but a friend with PCOS had a level in the single digits! 😲 And with PCOS, there tends to be higher levels of anxiety and depression. Could there be a correlation there?? I believe so, but then again, I’m always looking for a conspiracy when it comes to health and wellness 🤷🏽♀️
Since my vitamin D was low, my nutritionist had me take 10,000 IU per day to begin – yikes! But the megadoses worked. I cut down to 5000 IU per day which is now just 3 times per week. I typically add a day or so when it’s rainy as there’s no sun but my vitamin D level is pretty good now.
So how can you get vitamin D? Sun exposure, which I love love love! 🌞 Sources also include –
- oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
- red meat
- liver
- egg yolks (from NHS)
Pretty short list right? There are also fortified foods that have vitamin D but I don’t eat those, like breakfast cereal, so high quality supplements have helped tremendously. Besides boosting your mood, what else does vitamin D help with?
- Fight the flu
- Lower chance of multiple sclerosis
- Possibly decrease chance of heart failure
- Lower chance of some types of cancer
- Slow bone loss, building stronger bones (source: webmd)
If you have not, please get your vitamin D level checked. For me, it was one of the first aspects of my health that turned around quickly. This quick turnaround encouraged me to give the other health modifications a try too. I liken it to climbing a ladder to better health. Until next time! 🎉
Fantastically 40-ish 